Earth's Alpha Prime

Dante held on, arms and legs trembling as he supported the umbrella-shaped barrier that bore the weight of five collapsed floors.

The║Aegis Umbra║warped under the pressure but repaired itself as it consumed the durability of his armor. The armor, in turn, regenerated itself, keeping the balance. The barrier breaking wasn't the issue.

The floor beneath him cracked like a spider web from the focused weight. But even that wasn't the main problem. Dante felt his own body giving out long before the ground would.

"MJ," he asked in a strained voice, "how long can the floor beneath hold? How much weight is this?"

MJ's projection flickered to life at his side. "Based on the surviving concrete columns and the way the rubble is distributed, the total weight should have been 10,362 tonnes. But due to some kind of skill you used, the load has halved. At most, the floor can hold for 43 more seconds."

Dante's eyes widened. Even half of that was over five thousand tonnes. Around him, the survivors overheard the number. Gasps and stunned silence spread.

Roberto's face tightened with worry as he looked at Dante, whose body trembled so violently it looked like spasms.

Realizing he might collapse, Dante shouted, "All of you, get down, now!"

Those closest reacted instantly, crouching low. Others followed when they saw the urgency in his expression. Dante dropped to one knee, planting the other firmly, both arms straining upward as he held the barrier.

"Dante!" Roberto cried, hurrying closer. "Are you alright? Let me help!"

He raised his hands, pressing them up against the barrier as if to share the weight. The effort barely made a difference, but the sight of him trying lit a spark in the others.

One by one, men and women, young and old, stepped up. Hands pressed against the barrier, shoulders pushed, voices cried out as more than two hundred people tried to share the burden.

For a moment, the weight eased enough for Dante to catch a shaky breath. But it wasn't for long. People began to falter within a few seconds, arms buckling as pain shot through them. They stumbled back, gasping.

To them, it was like trying to hold up a mountain. Doubt spread. Despair followed. Tears rolled down cheeks. Some closed their eyes and prayed. Others clenched their teeth, refusing to give up, taking turns to press against the weight looming over them.

Dante's entire body shook. His breaths grew ragged, sweat pouring down his face. His vision blurred, and his knees dug into the cracked floor. He looked like he could collapse at any second.

Roberto stepped closer, his eyes glistening with tears as he looked straight into Dante's.

"If I or any of these people don't make it, don't beat yourself up, alright? You gave it your all. If we die here, that's our bad luck, not yours. Take care of yourself when I'm gone. Know this; I am proud of you, and I'd wish to have you as my son in the next life."

Dante's eyes stung as his throat tightened. Uncle Roberto's words dug deep, tearing at the knot in his chest. His Fate Halo remained white, while all the others around him glowed violet, a chilling sign of death drawing near for them.

As a last measure, he tried to change their fate, even though it was his first time attempting it with so many people at once.

But the feedback from his innate talent revealed the cost. His Fate stats were only enough to shift the destiny of fifty-nine people.

His heart sank.

Gritting his teeth, he chose the children, the women, and Roberto. With a heavy heart, he prepared to activate it.

But suddenly, the numbers shifted. The cost changed to zero.

Dante blinked in shock. 'Why? How?'

Before he could make sense of it, the crushing weight on his body lessened by half. The trembling in his legs slowed. Around him, people gasped, their eyes fixed on something behind him.

Dante twisted his head back, and froze.

Someone was there, mirroring his half-crouched stance. The man held the weight with one hand, casually supporting the barrier as if it weighed nothing, and he was someone all too familiar.

Jay.

He smiled faintly. "Don't go spending your Fate stats just yet. You'll need them in the Bloodline Realm."

Relief surged through Dante. The guilt of choosing who to save and who to abandon, all of it melted away.

Jay patted Dante's shoulder before rising. Before the astonished eyes of everyone present, he lifted the barrier with just his right hand, taking the entire weight onto himself.

Unlike Dante, Jay didn't tremble or strain. He looked almost casual. Some of the survivors even doubted the weight could really be that heavy. But when they remembered how helpless they had been when they tried to share it did they finally begin to believe.

Dante wasn't as shocked as the others, but even he felt a jolt of disbelief. He knew exactly what Jay had taken on. It wasn't five thousand tonnes. It was full ten thousand, and Jay was holding it up with one hand.

For the║Graviton Veil║to work, Dante had to stay in contact with the Umbra barrier, which pressed directly against the mountain of debris above.

He suddenly remembered something and turned to Jay. "The floor is cracking. It might collapse any moment."

This time it was MJ who replied, appearing beside Dante. "Don't worry. Master is supporting the entire mall structure telekinetically. Look closely, the cracks on the floor have stopped spreading."

Dante glanced down and saw MJ was right. The cracks had stopped completely. He swallowed hard, marveling at how much stronger Jay had become. He wanted to ask more, but he held his tongue. He knew he would find the answer soon enough in the Final Tournament.

Just then, an old man dressed in saffron robes with a shaved head and a small tuft of hair at the back, fell to his knees. He folded his hands in prayer and began chanting.

"Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare…

Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare…"

Dante tilted his head in confusion. "What's this supposed to mean?"

MJ's calm voice explained. "That is the Hare Krishna Mahāmantra. In Hindu tradition, Krishna is an avatar of Vishnu, one of the three main deities: Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer. Legends say Krishna once lifted an entire mountain with his little finger to protect villagers from a massive flood. To this monk, seeing Master holding all this weight with one hand must look like the embodiment of Krishna himself."

Dante smirked, then looked at Jay. "Looks like they're going to build a temple for you."

Jay shook his head with a faint smile. "They'd have to remember me first to do that."

Dante caught his meaning. Jay planned to erase their memories afterward.

Jay's expression turned thoughtful. "Besides, once the System fully assimilates and everyone gains the potential to become godlike, do you think they'll still worship with the same devotion?"

The words sank deep. Dante wondered how faith and belief would change across the world once power beyond imagination became accessible to anyone.

Before he could dwell on it, a voice rang out from the side, filled with disbelief.

"Jay… is that you?"

Dante turned and recognized the woman who had been sitting across from the arrogant young man before the mall collapse.

He leaned toward Jay. "I overheard her say she was Kay's classmate in high school. That means she was yours too. Do you know her?"

Jay, however, didn't spare the woman a glance and said to Dante, "I've never met her before."

His voice was loud enough for her to hear. Cold and distant, the tone reminded Dante of the Jay he had first met.

Something clicked in Dante's mind. He recalled stories Kay and Qew had shared about their school days. The pieces began to fit together.

He glanced back at the woman, a thought rising in his mind. 'Don't tell me this is who I think it is…'

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Author Note:

The first chapter of my Manhwa adaptation for EARTH's ALPHA PRIME is now publicly released on WEBTOON!! You can simply search the book title and find it.

It would mean a lot if you could subscribe, leave a like, and maybe drop a comment with your thoughts in Webtoon. Every bit of support helps increase its reach!

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Due to ongoing piracy concerns, the final 22 chapters of Volume 3 (Ch.351 to 372) are not posted publicly. They are exclusively available through:

📘 Amazon Kindle – Volume 3 eBook & PATRE0N

👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DRQNP1ZS

📅 Chapter Release Schedule

A total of 4 chapters every week, with 2 chapters / week for each book:

Earth's Alpha Prime – Volume 4

🗓️ Wednesday & Saturday

ALTER REALITY: Online – 1st Side Story of EARTH's ALPHA PRIME

🗓️ Monday & Friday

📖 Go check this new book out if you haven't already!

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Discord Link for 'Earth's Alpha Prime' :

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